The present invention relates to mascara applicators and, in particular, to an applicator comprising a T-shaped applicator wand and a container therefor.
A T-shaped mascara applicator wand (T-wand) and a container therefor are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,188,131; 5,309,929; and 5,556,214. The wand comprises a stem and an applicator brush extending transversely of the stem. The container is of elongated (oval) cross-sectional shape for containing the mascara. A handle of the applicator wand also serves as a cover for the container.
It is desirable to produce an air-tight seal between the container and the cover in order to resist the evaporation of ethanol from the mascara and the resulting drying-out of the mascara. In the case of an in-line wand, i.e., wherein the applicator brush and the wand stem are colinear, the cover can be provided with a screw thread to enable the cover to be screwed onto the container. The screw threads perform a camming action forcing the cover against a wiper disposed in the container to enable a proper air-tight seal to be produced.
In the case of the T-wand and container described in the abovementioned patents, however, there is insufficient space within the container to allow the brush to rotate about the axis of the stem. Thus, it is not possible to attach the cover to the container by a screw thread unless the cover were made rotatable relative to the wand. That would, however, make it difficult to use the cover as a handle when applying the mascara, because the brush would tend to rotate out of its desired orientation during the application process.
Also, the opening formed in the container for allowing the T-wand to be inserted and removed in a direction parallel to the stem axis must be relatively large, making it somewhat difficult to seal the container and to wipe excess mascara from the brush.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a mascara container for a T-wand which enables an air-tight seal to be established, and enables excess mascara to be effectively wiped from the brush during brush withdrawal.
The present invention relates to a mascara applicator which comprises an applicator wand that includes a handle, a stem extending from the handle, and a brush attached to a free end of the stem. The brush extends transversely relative to the stem. The stem defines a longitudinal axis. The applicator also includes a container forming an internal chamber which contains mascara. The container includes an upper face having a hole formed therein for receiving the stem. The container also includes a channel spaced downwardly from the upper face and extending transversely of the hole. The channel intersects a side wall of the container to define an external access opening. An inner end of the channel defines an internal access opening. The wand is removable from the container by a dual-direction movement comprising a first direction parallel to the axis to bring the brush into alignment with the internal access opening, and a second direction transversely of the axis to move the wand through the channel.
Preferably, the wand includes a wiper seal which extends generally parallel to the axis and is arranged to seal across the internal access opening when the wand is disposed within the container.
The applicator preferably further includes a seal disposed on the top face and formed of an elastically flexible material. The seal forms a seal across an upper portion of the channel and permits travel of the wand in the transverse direction.